Headlight.



N0. 643,!4L Patented Feb. l3, i900.

- J. KIRBY, m.

HEADLIGHT.

(Application filed Jan. 31, 1898.)

(No Model.)

"III/I I nv ant u 1' W THE NORRIS LTEHS CO. PHQTO-L|THO., WASHINGTON, C

JOIIN KIRBY, JR, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE DAY ON MANU- FACTURINGCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

HEADLIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 6t3,141, dated February13, 1900.

Application filed January 31,1898. Serial No. 668,593. (No model) To(ZZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN KIRBY, J12, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in GasGeneratingHeadlights; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention.

My invention relates to gas -generating headlights for use onlocomotives, motorcars, steamboats, and in other places, and of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to combine with a headlight-case aninterior equipment consisting of a base, a reflector, a burner, agas-generator,and a liquid-reservoir,whereby illuminating-gas isproduced by the action of liquid on gas-producing material containedwithin the generator and to so combine the said features as that the gasmay be produced and consumed within the case and whereby light will bereflected through a glass-covered opening in the case; also, to socombine the several features of said interior as that they shallcomprisea single structure removable bodily from and replaceablein thecase in a convenient and efficient manner.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction, whichwill be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims atthe end of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of alocomotive-headlightembodying my invention and having a portion of its case broken away andits door open to show the interior within. Fig. 2'is a rear perspectiveview of the interior removed from the case. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionthrough a portion of the rear end of the reflector and thesupporting-standard, showing the manner in which the former is connectedwith the latter; and Fig. 4, a plan view'of Fig. 2.

Similar letters and numerals of reference represent corresponding partsin all the figures of the drawings.

A represents the case, which may be provided with suitable air inletsand outlets to support and carry off the products of combustion andwhich may be constructed of any material suitable for such purpose andof proper size and form to receive the interior B, which consists,chiefly, of a parabolic refleetorO, gas generator and holder D,liquidreservoir E, supporting-Standard F, and sliding base G. Thesupporting-standard F is fixed to the said sliding base and extends upwardly therefrom, and it is provided with branching arms 1 and 2, oneofwhich carries the gas-generator and the other carrying theliquid-reservoir, and these arms are so formed as that the generator andthe liquid-reservoir may be located at either side of the reflector toeconomize space, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4. The front or open endof the reflector is provided with a flange 3, and it is secured to thebase G by means of a suitable connection 4, and its rear end ispreferably secured to and carried by the supporting-Standard F by meansof a stem at, having a flange 19 secured to the apex of the reflector,the said stem being adapted ,to engage a hole 0 through the standard andto be held therein by a screw (1, as more clearly shown in Fig. 3. Thereflector is provided with upper and lower openings 5 and 6. Through thelatter opening there extends one end of a gas-pipe I-I, carrying aburner I, the opposite end of said pipe being in communication with theinterior of the gas-holder D. A chimney J may be carried by the burnerand protrude through the opening 5 of the re flector to carry off theproducts of combustion. The front wall of the case is provided with anopening of about the diameter of the open end of the reflector, andsurrounding this opening there is an outwardly-projecting rim 7,provided with an annular flange 8, the said rim carrying a glass disk K,which bears against said annular flange and through which disk lightfrom the burner is reflected in the usual manner. The case is alsoprovided with a door 9, having a suitable fastening 10, and it ismounted on a base L, provided with ways 11, which correspond withrunners 12, forming part of the sliding base G, and Whereby the contentsof the case can be readily removed bodily from and replaced in the casethrough the door 9. y

The preferred material from which the gas may be produced is carbid ofcalcium, and

this material is contained within the generator D, which also serves asa gas-holder and which is connected with the liquid-reservoir E by meansof a pipe 13, Fig. 4, and through which pipe water orother suitableliquid carried in said reservoir may be supplied therefrom to thegas-producing material Within the generator and the supply thereofcontrolled by suitable regulating mechanism, which may be actuated bythe pressure of gas within the generator produced by the action of theliquid on the gas-producing material.

I amaware that it is not new to mount the contents of a headlight-caseon a removable base, which can be withdrawn therefrom, and that suchconstruction is customary in the manufacture of oil burning headlights.Therefore I make no claim to such construction broadly, but the idea ofmanufacturing and utilizing gas within a headlight-case in the mannerherein described is, I believe, new and novel and destined to be ofgreat value in the art to which it appertains.

I therefore claim as my in vention 1. In a headlight, a case having adoor and a glass-covered opening, in combination with an interiorequipment consisting of a reflector, a gas-generator, a gas-holderlocated at one side of the center line of the reflector, aliquid-reservoir in open communication with said generator and locatedat the opposite side of the center line of said reflector, agasburnerlocated in proper relation to the focal point of the reflectorand centrally of said gas-holder and said liquid-reservoir, and aremovable base, the Whole forming a single structure adapted to beinserted in and withdrawn bodily from the case, and whereby gas isproduced and consumed within the case and the light utilized toilluminate the roadway in advance of the headlight, substantially asshown and described.

2. In a headlight, a case having a door and a glass-covered opening, incombination with an interior equipment consisting of a reflector, agas-generator located at one side of the center line thereof, aliquid-reservoir in open communication with said generator and locatedat the opposite side of the center line of the reflector, agas-burnerlocated in proper relation to the focal point of the reflector andcentrally of said generator and said reservoir, and a removable base,the whole forming a single structure adapted to be inserted in andwithdrawn from the case, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a headlight, a case having a door and a glass-covered opening, incombination with an interior equipment consisting of a removable base; areflector; a standard projecting upwardly from said base; agas-generator and a liquid-reservoir carried by said standard onopposite sides of the center line of the reflector; the saidliquid-reservoir being in open communication with said generator, and aburner located in proper relation to the focal point of the reflectorand centrally of said generator and reservoir, the whole forming asingle structure adapted to be inserted in and withdrawn from the case,substantially as shown and described.

4. In a headlight, a case having a door and a glass-covered opening, incombination with an interior equipment consisting of a removable base; areflector; a standard projecting upwardly from said base and supportingthe rear end of the reflector; agas-generator and a liquid-reservoircarried by said standard on opposite sides of the center line of thereflector, the said liquid-reservoir being in open communication withsaid generator, and a burner located in proper relation to the focalpoint of the reflector and centrally of said genererator and reservoir,the whole forming a single structure adapted to be inserted in andwithdrawn from the case, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses, this 29th day of January, 1898.

JOHN KIRBY, JR.

Witnesses:

N. EMMONS, J r., IE1). L. SPENCER.

